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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27333286">Song-based Requests</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/otomeramblings/pseuds/otomeramblings'>otomeramblings</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>A3! (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Character Study, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gen, M/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 23:28:38</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>8,238</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27333286</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/otomeramblings/pseuds/otomeramblings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>...in which I write a small drabble about the character requested (on tumblr) inspired by a random song from my playlist.<br/>Some are centred around romance but others are more character studies, it all depends on the song.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Arisugawa Homare/Reader, Chigasaki Itaru/Reader, Hyoudou Juuza/Reader, Takatoo Tasuku/Reader, will update as i add more chapters</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>51</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Juza: How it Feels to Fall</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>A/N: the reader is gender-neutral unless specified</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h6>🎵 Song: Forever Yours by Key (feat. Soyou)🎵</h6><p>Juza exhaled through his nose and let himself fall unceremoniously onto his bed. He was grateful that Banri had joined Itaru in a raid that night, because that meant that he didn’t have to try to control his expression nor will away the intense blush he knew was adorning his cheeks and the tip of his ears. He was usually pretty good at maintaining a neutral expression, but that wasn’t the case when it came to you. Somewhere along the way, you had wormed your way into his heart and it all happened with him being none the wiser.</p><p>If you were to ask him what was the thing that made him fall for you, he couldn’t tell you. Whether it had been your easy smile or your kind words or the way you could find beauty and wonder in everything around you, it didn’t matter to him at this point. It was you, in your entirety, flaws and all, what ended up drawing him closer. To him, you were like that box of mystery candy Taichi had shared with him once: each time he went in, a new flavour appeared; most of them delicious, some of them truly bizarre, but that’s what made it all the more thrilling. The more he discovered about you, the more you shone in his eyes. Before he knew it, he was falling, deeper and deeper, and he hadn’t stopped since.</p><p>Sometimes, when the thoughts of you flooded his mind, he had to shake himself awake from his daydreams. It was as if he were floating around, filled with nothing but a small warm light that reminded him of the force and warmth behind your smile. It was a scary feeling at times, knowing someone had such a strong hold on him, and it was during those times that a small voice at the back of his head would attempt to plant seeds of doubt in his mind, trying to convince him that just because he felt this way about you, it didn’t mean that you would return his affections were he to confess.</p><p><em>But I don’t hate it,</em> he thought with a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips while he grabbed his previously discarded phone:</p>
<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>“here’s the pic i took of us today! i had a great time💕<br/>
it was a shame they didn’t had your favourite tho (πーπ）<br/>
but that just gives us an excuse to go again, right? what do you say? my treat!”</p>
  <p>“sure. sounds nice”</p>
  <p>“it’s a date!  ^.~ “</p>
</blockquote><p>Yes, falling in love was terrifying, he pondered, but he knew he wasn’t just floating aimlessly. As he looked at the picture you had sent from your day together, the only thought that crossed his mind was how he hoped that now that you had him in your hands, you would hold on tight and never let go.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Juza: U&I</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>A/N: the reader is gender-neutral unless specified</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h6>🎵 Song: She is (좋아) by Jonghyun🎵</h6><p>You really hadn’t expected that your day would turn out like this: with you sitting on the edge of your bed, your head hung low and trying to hold back tears while Juza sat on the floor in front of you, hands resting on top of your knees. He was gently rubbing the exposed skin there, trying to soothe you as he tried to organize his thoughts. Your heart was immediately filled with warmth at the sight, but as you gripped the sheets beneath you, a part of you wished you hadn’t exploded like that.</p><p>You had gone to see one of Juza’s plays, and after congratulating him backstage you had gone outside to wait while they all finished getting changed. You had your headphones on, which is probably why those people didn’t think twice when they said <em>“He’s dating them? Seriously? Wow, he could do so much better?”</em> You were usually a pretty composed person, but you hadn’t realised how much your insecurities had been piling up on you until you literally couldn’t bear it.</p><p>You didn’t make a scene, though, you knew better than that. But once you were alone, you couldn’t hold it in anymore. The comment wouldn’t have hurt as much if you hadn’t had those same thoughts swirling in your head before. Your boyfriend was amazing; he was kind, he was talented and hardworking, he even had the looks to boot. Because of that, sometimes you couldn’t help but feel that you paled in comparison. So you snapped, and with a barely controlled quiver in your voice, you poured out your heart to him.</p><p>Juza tapped one of your knees slightly to catch your attention.</p><p>“Remember that time when those punks tried to tell you that you’d be better off without me?” he asked.</p><p>You nodded. Of course you remembered. it had been a group of guys that, like many others, had tried to provoke Juza into starting a fight with them. He had refused and just before they had a chance to try again, you had come up to him, wondering what was going on (you knew, but it was best to feign ignorance most of the time to leave them without anything to do). Only that this time, one of them had the gall to say <em>“you should stop associating with a guy like him unless you want your reputation to be ruined”.</em></p><p>“And what did you tell ‘em?” his thumbs kept lightly rubbing the top of your knees.</p><p>You could feel a slight blush forming on your cheeks. He waited patiently until you finally mumbled, “That they could get bent because I love you and our relationship is none of their business.”</p><p>“Exactly.” You could see the amusement swimming in his eyes while he recalled how serious you had been when you said it. But he quickly got serious again, and his eyes shone with the familiar intensity that appeared when he wanted you to understand something.</p><p>“You’ve told me countless times that you don’t care about what anyone says about our relationship, “ he started. “That you didn’t care about my reputation of being a delinquent, or about my mean mug or how scary I look or-”</p><p>“Because none of that matters!!” you interrupted him automatically, a habit that had formed whenever you heard Juza talking in a self-deprecating way. But when he squeezed the top of your knees and you saw his expression softening, you could already see where he was going with this.</p><p>“And ‘s the same for me. I don’t care about what anyone else says about us. I’m dating you because you make me happy.” You could see the slight blush that dusted the tips of his ears but he pushed on. “I’m dating you because I love you; I love how expressive your eyes are, how when you laugh your whole body follows suit, and how messy your hair looks in the mornings when you oversleep because you were too engrossed in what you were doing.” You could feel your lower lip quivering and how moist your eyes were getting, and seeing that, Juza quickly placed his right hand on the side of your face. “I love you because you make me want to better myself even more, not just for me but also to make you proud. Please never forget that.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Itaru: And then I found You</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>A/N: the reader is gender-neutral unless specified</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h6>🎵 Song: <em>Once in a Lifetime</em> by Tiffany 🎵</h6><p>It’s not that Itaru didn’t believe in soulmates. He knew that the timers on their wrists that counted down until D-Day were an established fact. The sky was blue, the sun rose from the west and one day he would meet the person he was supposed to spend the rest of his life with. No, he knew that’s what would most likely happen, and when his eyes had been brighter and his hopes had been higher, he had thought that it was a perfect arrangement. The universe had a person in mind that would be perfect for him? It sounded like a pretty sweet deal on his book. But his rose-coloured view turned grey fairly early in his life.</p><p>It was his parents' divorce when he was twelve; it was his then-friend cheating on his girlfriend when he was 16; it was the girls and guys who even after taking a peek at his timer still tried to flirt with him when he was 19; it was the old ladies at his office whispering behind his back and shaking their heads as they said he would finally be complete once he met his soulmate when he was 25. “Complete”, he slowly grew to resent that word. Not only because it implied that he wasn’t his own person, but also because if soulmates were so great, so infallible, then what explanation was there for all the heartbreak he had come to witness throughout his life? Even though they existed, Itaru believed that the connection everyone praised so much was more at home in his games and anime than in real life.</p><p>Some people might call his line of thinking jaded, but he called it “realistic”. Because of that, he saw his timer’s countdown with no more than a slight purse on his lips. He wouldn't deny the small sense of anticipation he felt, but the excitement that had been present in his younger days just wasn’t there anymore. Even after you two officially met -having bumped into each other on the street-, he still couldn’t shake the scepticism that clung to him like a wet blanket. In fact, that feeling only grew. You were nice, don’t get him wrong, but he couldn’t understand what exactly made you two a perfect match. It’s not that you didn’t get along well, but your personalities were distinctively different. He just didn’t get what made this connection so special. In the beginning, at least.</p><p>The more you spent together, the more Itaru came to realise what was the problem with the soulmate system, at least in his eyes. It had become such a certainty, such an unspoken norm in life that everyone just expected their relationships to work out right off the bat. But reality wasn’t so simple. The soulmate connection was real, and it did direct you towards the person you would be most compatible with, but there was more to it. Just like any relationship, soulmates needed to be patient and persistent, they needed to be open to try and understand what the other person thought and felt. The bond wouldn’t magically fix your problems if you were unwilling to compromise and work together.</p><p>For you guys, it started small. You had been much more open to deepening your connection than he had been, so you proposed that you meet up once a week to get to know each other better. He had agreed, and the first couple of reunions happened at café since you both considered them neutral places. After a few weeks, you then proposed to take each other to places you frequented to share your likes and dislikes, You took him to a book café and a cat café and he took you to the arcade and to game bars. At first, he hadn’t been too keen about having to go out so much, but it didn’t take him long to find himself anticipating your little outings. </p><p>Slowly but surely, he had started to fall for the small things you did. It was the way you listened to him rant about his nosy coworkers, and the way you didn’t judge him at all once you found out about his gaming habits and his “real” personality”, and the look of concentration on your face when you were trying out a new game he recommended. And later, he also found the charm in the way your eyes lit up when talking about your favourite novels and the way your smile would widen when a small kitten would brush up against your leg, and possibly his favourite thing of all: the fond look in your eyes whenever you kept up with his banter or laughed at his stupid jokes.</p>
<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>
    <em>“I can’t believe we had to sit through all of that,” he groaned as you entered your flat. That company party had been so dreadful he would rather take on the boss battle he struggled for five hours on merciless difficulty again.</em>
  </p>
  <p>
    <em>“You poor thing,” he could hear the mirth in your tone and that only made him pout more. At that, you reached up to place a kiss on his cheek before turning away and walking towards your shared room. “C’mon, I’ll let you use my account to see if you can get your waifu using my gems this time around.”</em>
  </p>
  <p>
    <em>“That might have been the sexiest thing you’ve ever said to me,” he called out with a twinkle in his eyes, and his pout turned into a grin once your laughter reached his ears.</em>
  </p>
</blockquote><p>Sure, your relationship wasn’t perfect, but he couldn’t remember the last time he had felt so at peace with himself. It wasn’t that you completed him; you complimented him in a way no one ever had before. Thinking that he might have never known you if it hadn’t been for the soulmate system made him, for the first time since he was a child, grateful beyond belief. He knew that you two would find bumps along the way and that your days wouldn’t be sunny all the time, but that didn’t matter. You were his once in a lifetime, a limited UR that was tailored just for him, and he knew would do anything to make sure he didn’t waste this opportunity.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Tsumugi: One Step Forward</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h6>🎵 Song: <em>History Maker </em>by Dean Fujioka 🎵</h6><p>Lying in bed after the act-off against the God Troupe, the only sounds that reached Tsumugi’s ears were those of Tasuku’s even breathing and the blowing wind outside. Well, not exactly. Still partly in disbelief, the show playing back in his head like a movie and the cheers still ringing in his ears. Even if it hadn’t been by much, they had won; all of their hard work had paid off, all of their hardships hadn’t been in vain. He couldn’t be more proud of all the effort everyone had put in and to be able to call himself their leader (even if he didn’t think he managed to do that much in that regard.)</p><p>Tenma, Sakuya, Banri and him had an “unofficial” leader meeting after their celebration party. They talked a bit about the Winter Troupe’s performance and how rehearsals would go moving forward. Then, to his surprise, they asked him for advice; they were impressed with the way he moved on stage, since subtle actions and expressions and a more gentle presence were his strong suits. He guessed his shock was evident on his face because Banri was quick to point out that even if he had shaped up as a leader, he still needed to work on his confidence. Tsumugi couldn’t stop the smile that appeared on his face as he remembered the teen’s blunt remark. <em>Yeah, he’s definitely not wrong about that.</em> While he believed he had a lot to work on as a leader, he couldn’t deny that he felt a lot more confident in his acting than when they had just begun rehearsing.</p><p>Letting out a small sigh, he pushed his fringe away from his forehead. He could have never expected his life would take such a turn after he decided to come back after his break. After he came back to Veludo Way, he couldn’t stop chastising himself for having been such a coward, for running away after he was rejected. At the same time, he desperately tried to listen to the part of himself that screamed at him that he could, that it wasn’t too late to give it another go. His sense of worth had taken such a hit that, in his self-loathing, he had tried to snuff out that voice while continuously repeating to himself that he would never be good enough. But that small voice never went away; it only got louder and louder until he couldn’t ignore it anymore. </p><p>Slowly, he managed to pick up the scattered pieces of his heart and let himself know that he could heal, and healing meant that he had to stop running away. Now he’s sure that he wouldn’t be where he is today if he hadn’t experienced that first hand. As he had said to Mr Kamikizaka, he couldn’t help but feel grateful for what had happened back then. </p><p>Not only did he manage to patch up his relationship with Tasuku, something that had weighed on him deeply since the day he had left, but also he formed some new unexpected bonds with Homare, Hisoka and Azuma. They still were trying to solidify their relationships but he could see they all cared for each other and for the success of the troupe in one way or another. He wouldn’t say they were “friends” yet, and the way they interacted was distinctively different from the other troupes, but he knew that whatever it was they had, it could bloom into something amazing. That went for Mankai itself, too. They were a small company and they were still trying to steady their footing but Tsumugi was sure that they could turn it around, if the results from today’s show were any indication. </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Itaru: Before Spring</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h6>🎵 Song: Winter Of Our Youth by Bastille 🎵</h6><p>“GJ everyone,” he calls out to his team over voice chat before disconnecting. He removes his headset and rests his head on the back of his chair. The clock on the corner of his screen informs him that it’s 4am; the raid ran a bit longer than he expected, so he should probably go to bed now if he had any hope of being awake at work tomorrow…well, later today.</p><p>After turning off his computer, he grabs his phone to check up on one of his gacha games, the little message notification that glares at him from the screen reminds him why he had put his phone on silent in the first place.</p><p> </p><p></p><blockquote>
  <p><em>From: Mom</em><br/>We’re going to have a family dinner<br/>to meet your sister’s boyfriend<br/>Yes, you have to be there, Itaru […]</p>
</blockquote><p>Itaru can’t help the sigh that escapes from his mouth. He would rather have to sit through a 3 hour long executive meeting than to go to this dinner but he knew that his mother wouldn’t accept any excuse he gave. A normal family dinner would have been bearable; while his family didn’t understand his passion for gaming (and certainly try to make him lessen his time spend on it), they were used to his antics for the most part so he didn’t feel like he really had to put on the facade he had around most people. But the boyfriend changed things.</p><p>He considered himself lucky, being able to have found a stable job so soon after graduating from college. In fact, him having such a secure position at his age is one of the main reasons why his parents probably don’t nag him more about his life. And while he was content with where he was in life, he knew the conversation that would inevitably pop up from that interaction. <em>“You’re such a handsome and accomplished young man, Itaru dear. Aren’t you seeing anybody? Don’t you want to find someone?”</em> and that wasn’t even the question that bothered him the most, no, that place was reserved for: <em>“Are you going outside enough? We haven’t met any of your friends. Perhaps if you stopped spending so much time on your computer-”</em></p><p>Itaru likes to think that he’s pretty content with his life. But every once in a while, he can’t stop the way his thoughts start to spiral down a darker path. When that happens, even the escapism his games allows him barely offer him any respite.</p><p>It’s during these moments that he can’t help but wonder if maybe he should want more out of life. He’s fine with his job; he doesn’t like it per se, but he tolerates it. And he loves spending his free time immersing himself in his games or watching a new anime; he loves that he can transport himself to different worlds and realities from the comfort of his room, and he’s met some great people online thanks to the fandoms he ended up getting into. There in his room, he can be himself without having to worry about anything; there’s no one to impress, no one who can judge him, no one who could betray him. Reality has let him down before, and his “proper adult life” has done nothing more than cement his belief that you really only see from others what they want you to see. </p><p>But even so…..even so, he wonders if maybe he stopped thinking that every smile that’s thrown his way was fake, then he would be able to let himself trust others again. He’s getting older and a nagging voice at the back of his head whispers that he was going to regret isolating himself like this, and a part of him dreads the fact that it might be right, that maybe one day he will wake up and find out that he regrets the way in which he spent his youth. But the odds are stacked against him; all the smiles and good nature people shower him in would disappear the moment they found out about what he’s really like, and he’s not ready (nor willing) to go through that disappointment. <em>Not again. </em></p><p>With another sigh, he climbs on his bad. Wrapping himself with his blankets helps alleviate coldness he was feeling, but only partially. He’s thankful that winter is finally coming to an end and that thought reminds him that he should probably start looking for a new place to live in. Maybe around Veludo Way? He thinks he recalls one of his coworkers mentioning that the bulletin board there often advertised dorms, so maybe he could find something there. It wasn’t a bad location; it would be closer to his office and if he managed to find a place with cheaper rent, it would be knocking two birds with one stone. <em>Well, tomorrow-Itaru could deal with tha</em>t, is his last thought before closing his eyes.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Homare: The Things We Hide</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>A/N: the reader is gender-neutral unless specified</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h6>🎵 Song: Beautiful Liar by VIXX LR🎵</h6><p>For Homare, there had never been a bigger enigma than the minds of others. He desperately wished to be able to understand how others saw the world but the inner workings of his own mind made it impossible for him to connect and empathize with others. He always found himself at a loss when he had to face any kind of situation that was brought about by outbursts of emotions. For the longest time, he didn’t even conceive the possibility of finding someone to establish a romantic relationship with, but then he met his first partner.</p><p>They had loved each other, he was certain of that much, but what they had wasn’t meant to last. From time to time, their tear-stained face would appear in his mind and could feel the grip on his quill pen tightening. He had made them cry often, and while he undeniably felt horrible about marring their expression with sadness in response to his words, the most frustrating part was the fact that he simply couldn’t understand what was wrong about the things he said. That’s why he didn’t resent it when they had referred to him as a “broken cyborg.” How could he? He was devoid of empathy, believing that anyone would want to form a true heartfelt relationship with him had been nothing but a fool’s dream; he hadn’t wanted to listen to his grandmother’s words when he was younger, but maybe he really was no better than that broken pocket watch. </p><p>They left him one day, and he didn’t fight it, he didn’t try to change their mind, he couldn’t bring himself to. The echo of their painful yet truthful remarks still clung to him, so he put on his best placid smile and wished them happiness on the new chapter of their life. After that, he began to guard himself more than before. Not necessarily because he thought someone could hurt his feelings, but because if he put himself out there once more and dished out more thoughtless remarks, then he could end up hurting others again.</p><p>But then you appeared. You, with your boisterous laughter, gleaming eyes and gentle touch; you, with your attentive gaze and curious nature. It was as if you had shifted his world on its axis and now everywhere he looked had a newfound charm he hadn’t noticed previously. Before he noticed, though, he had lost count how many of his pieces revolved around you: the curve of your smile, a poem; the chime of your laughter, a sonnet; the way your fingers absentmindedly tapped on the table, a haiku. He felt like a moth drawn to a flame and the realisation that he wished nothing more than to get closer made him stop dead on his tracks.</p><p>The director had mentioned how it hurt when you told someone something they didn’t want to hear and maybe this was the first time he had come close to understanding what it exactly meant. Because despite all his confidence, the thought of laying his feelings out in the open filled him with dread. Not just because of the possibility of rejection (which was a concern he had never truly experienced), but also because he would never be able to forgive himself if his emotional ineptitude were to tarnish your vivacious nature and stain your face with tears. Could he really put himself out there and risk putting both of your hearts on the line of fire?</p><p>No, he couldn’t. So with a deep sigh, he once again put on his best smile and took a step back.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Tasuku: Right Beside You</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>A/N: the reader is gender-neutral unless specified</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h6>🎵 Song: <em>When I look at you</em> by Miley Cyrus 🎵</h6><p>You can hear the sound of your sneakers hitting the pavement as you jog to the park, the chill of the night breeze blowing against your cheeks. Your pace isn’t rushed but it doesn’t take you long to arrive at your destination. You slow down as you reach the entrance; it doesn’t surprise you to see just a handful of people using the callisthenics equipment and because of that, you’re quick to locate your boyfriend’s figure using the pull-up bar. As you get closer, you are able to confirm the suspicions you had when you received his texts:</p><p></p><blockquote>
  <p></p>
  <div>
    <p>
      <em>are you free right now?</em>
    </p>
    <p>
      <em>yeah what’s up?</em>
    </p>
    <p>
      <em>meet me at the park?</em>
    </p>
    <p>
      <em>um, sure!<br/>is everything okay?</em>
    </p>
    <p>
      <em>yeah. just need to let out some steam.</em>
    </p>
  </div>
</blockquote><p>To most outsiders, he just looks like he’s concentrated on his reps, but even from his profile, you can see his deep frown and the way the corners of his mouth tugged slightly downwards. Something had upset him but knowing Tasuku as well as you did, you knew that he would only tell you once he was ready and that you prodding about it now while he was in the middle of his routine would accomplish nothing.</p><p>So instead, you decide to focus on your own workout now that you’re here and wait for him to approach you. You walk in front of his line of vision so he can see that you arrived but you don’t give him more than a nod and a small smile. You two lock eyes but the only sign of acknowledgement you receive is the slight widening of his eyes before he purses his lips and goes back to his reps with renewed fervour. You shake your head almost imperceptibly and start doing your laps around the park.</p><p>It wasn’t until you were stretching on the grass that you heard the sound of steps approaching you. You lift your eyes a bit to see him sit down in front of you, left knee bent and leaning sideways while grabbing onto the tip of his right foot, a perfect mirror of your own position. He’s still frowning but you can see that some of the tension had left his body already. The only sounds that reach your ears are the faint murmur from nearby conversations, the rush of traffic passing by and both of your breaths as you try to even out your breathing. When you switch legs, you decide it’s time to check in with him.</p><p>“So, what happened?” you ask, feeling the burn of the stretch on your obliques and leg.</p><p>“Nothing,” he grunts, his frown becoming pronounced once again. When you don’t answer, he shifts his gaze to look at you and when he meets your expectant gaze and the arch of your eyebrow, he sighs before abandoning his stretch and sitting up straight to face you. You follow suit, crossing your legs and resting your elbows on top of your thighs.</p><p>He’s biting the inside of his cheek, an unconscious habit that appears when he’s struggling to say something. He hates it but you’ve always been thankful for it because it lets you know whenever you need to give him time to vocalize whatever is eating at him. While it isn’t rare for Tasuku to turn to exercise when he had a bad day, it’s clear that whatever had happened today was more serious than usual.</p><p>“I left the God Troupe,” he says and a moment passes before the words sink in.</p><p>“<em>What?</em>” you exclaim in shock. Sure, Tasuku had his days where he complained about the way the Troupe work but he knew that he wouldn’t be where he was if it wasn’t for Mr Kamikizaka and everything he had learned there. He always said that the experience gained from being the star of the troupe was invaluable so why… “What happened? weren’t you going to watch another troupe’s play today?”</p><p>At that, Tasuku’s fists clench and he basically snarls his explanation. And that’s how you learned about what Mr Kamikizaka had been doing behind the scenes, how he made one of the members of their ensemble cast spy on another company and ruin their show and how Haruto had also known from the very beginning what was happening.</p><p>“And I told him that I refused to play his games and left the theatre,” he finishes. And now you can see why he looked so distressed. This was more than the fact that he felt like an unaware pawn in his troupe’s plan, more than just the feeling of betrayal that came from his boss and his second lead, no, this was about Tasuku’s principles not only as an actor but also as a person. He loves acting and theatre with his very being, he basically breathed it with every step he took, and seeing people he trusted try to desecrate the stage by trying to sabotage another troupe of actors that were just trying to live out their dreams and passions just like they were…to him, it was just unacceptable.</p><p>But you both know all of that and you know that there’s no much you can say about it; but even so, you ask:</p><p>“Are you going to look for another troupe in Veludo Way that’s seeking new members?”</p><p>“Tch. It wouldn’t surprise me if Mr Kamikizaka made sure that none of them accepts me after this,” he huffs out with a low humourless chuckle. You purse your lips at that, feeling your heart squeeze painfully. You get up, brushing the grass of your pants before squatting down in front of him.</p><p>“It’s gonna be hard, but you can make it happen. You’re too talented for it to go to waste,” you reach out to cup his face with both hands to make sure he’s looking you in the eye while you say this, to make sure he hears the conviction in your words and see the certainty in your gaze.<em> I believe in you and I’ll be here at every step of the way, </em>were the unspoken words your actions conveyed. You don’t kiss him out of respect for his dislike of extreme PDA so you settle for this instead; his own hands come up to grab your wrists and judging by the way his thumbs gently rub over your pulse point and the way his stare softens considerably, you know that your feelings reached him.</p><p>“Come on.” You push yourself up once again and offer him your hand. He takes it and you help him stand up.</p><p>“Where are we going?” he asks as he quickly matches your pace with his long strides.</p><p>“The conbini! We’re gonna get some popsicles!” you explain with a smile.</p><p>“We literally just finished working out,” he deadpans and you stick out your tongue at him in response.</p><p>“Details, details.” You wave your hand dismissively, “And besides, I feel like we really can make an exception right now, all things considered.”</p><p>He rolls his eyes at your reasoning but he doesn’t argue further so you take it as a win.</p><p>Later, when you’re sitting on one of the park benches, popsicles in hand and a much more relaxed Tasuku by your side, you finally ask what had been circling your mind:</p><p>“So…..are you going to tell me what else happened or do I have to coax it out of you?”</p><p>He pauses, popsicle still in his mouth and steals a glance your way. When he sees that you’re not going to budge, he lowers the frozen treat and looks down at his lap. He licks his lips before giving you an answer.</p><p>“Tsumugi is back.”</p><p>“<em>Tsumugi?!</em> When did you see him?” you wonder, surprise once again lacing your tone.</p><p>“I saw him near the station after I left the theatre.” It’s clear to you that he’s trying to be nonchalant but there’s a curtness to his voice that makes his feelings on the matter evident. You had met Tsumugi when you started dating Tasuku and he had been nothing but sweet and friendly but you also hadn’t heard of him since he had packed up and left town. You know that his departure had affected Tasuku greatly because he felt like his best friend had just given up on their joint dream. And while you understand where <em>he’s </em>coming from and have been there for him when he needed you, you can also see where <em>Tsumugi </em>might be coming from and you know that Tasuku also wants his friend back, no matter what he says. Because of that, you don’t hesitate to voice your thoughts:</p><p>“Ohhhh then you two could patch things up!”</p><p>He, unsurprisingly, lets out a snort when he hears your suggestion. “Yeah, not likely.”</p><p>This time is your turn to roll your eyes at his stubbornness.</p><p>“I love you so much but would it really kill you to be more optimistic?” you groan. “You could fix things up if you two just talked to each other!”</p><p>“You sound awfully sure.” He raises an unimpressed eyebrow.</p><p>“That’s because I am~”  You smile smugly and proceed to bop his nose with your index finger but immediately yelp when he reaches over and starts to ruffle your hair in retaliation.</p><p>You can’t see it but you at that moment you managed to coax out the first big genuine smile out of him that night. And as he listens to the mix of your half-hearted complaints and your laughter, he can’t stop the sudden rush of fondness and love that warm him up from his core. He had made the right call by asking you to accompany him tonight. He’s never said it out loud but just seeing you and hearing your voice always works like a charm when he needs to recharge his energy; your presence grounds him and reminds him that he doesn’t have to deal with his problems alone even if he sometimes still falls back into that habit.</p><p>Once you two finally settle down, half-eaten popsicles thrown in the trash <em>(“I can’t believe you made me drop it, you own me one the next time we go out!”</em>), he fixes his stare on your face as you smile while you type a response on your phone. And once again he doesn’t tell you but a small part of him hopes that you’re right about what you said, not only about his career but also about Tsumugi.</p>
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<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Tenma: And then the Sun Shone so Bright</h2></a>
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    <p>As Igawa finished sending a message, he pocketed his phone and lifted his gaze to see Tenma still eyeing the rack of keychains in the back corner of the store. The bags with sweet treats they had picked up still hung from Tenma’s wrist as he stood there, one hand on his hip and one on his chin, clearly trying to find something.</p>
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    <p>After shooting wrapped up, they went to one of the local bakeries to buy some souvenirs for Tenma’s theatre troupe. It was something he had taken the habit of doing and while he was surprised by it at first, Igawa was fast to encourage this new development; after the first time, he always made sure that whenever the boy had a shoot out of town or overseas, they would always be able to find a moment in their schedule so that he could buy something he could bring back.</p>
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    <p>They had been doing some window shopping after successfully purchasing the treats when Tenma stopped in front of one of the stores and insisted on going inside.</p>
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    <p>If he had to venture a guess, Igawa would say that the object that had originally caught Tenma’s attention was the small bonsai keychain that now dangled from in between his fingers. He couldn’t help the small smile that bloomed in his face at that; Tenma’s love for bonsai, while strange in the eyes of his peers for a boy his age, was actually something Igawa himself had grown incredibly fond of since it was one of the topics (besides acting) that actually made Tenma ramble with excitement. Since he had already had his hands on it, though, Igawa had an inkling as to what he was now searching for.</p>
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  <p>After a few minutes, and having four more keychains in his hands, Tenma strode towards the register. As he placed the items on the counter, Igawa could see that his hunch had been spot-on. Tenma threw a quick glance his way and he must have seen the way in which his manager was fighting back a smile because he quickly spoke up:</p>
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  <p>“They would just bug me later if I only got one for myself.”</p>
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  <p>“Of course, Tenma,” he replied with a small nod. It was an excuse but Igawa knew better than to try to get Tenma to admit it, so he didn’t press for more.</p>
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  <p>As his eyes inspected each of the designs as the cashier rang them up, he understood what had taken the boy so long when he was picking them. He could tell exactly which one would go to each person just by looking at them. Igawa admittedly didn’t know the members of the Summer Troupe very well, but he had gathered quite a bit of information from his conversations with Tenma.</p>
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  <p>Next to the small bonsai tree, there was a little white kitten wearing a pink bonnet;</p>
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    <em>“Dammit,” Tenma clicked his tongue seeing the traffic-jam they were stuck in. “I know it’s frustrating but can’t you let them know that you’ll be late for rehearsals?” Igawa spared a glance his way and saw that Tenma was already typing something on his phone. “Yeah, but that’s not the problem,” he grumbled. “We are trying on the new costumes today and Yuki’s already difficult enough normally. I don’t need to give him another excuse to call me- a </em>
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      <em>hack</em>
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    <em>, oh for the love of-.” Judging from the exasperated tone in his voice and the quick typing that followed, Igawa could guess what response Tenma had received and he tried his best to squash down his amusement before commenting again. “Yuki? That’s….Rurikawa, right? You mentioned he’s in charge of making all of the company’s costumes? He did a really good job for your debut performance.” After seeing the state in which the theatre was, a part of him had honestly been worried about the production quality, but he had been blown away by it and the costumes were one of the things that had impressed him the most. “Yeah,” Tenma sighed before putting his phone down. “I hate to admit it, but the kid’s got some real talent in that department and he has potential in acting as well. Now if only he could do something about that snarky attitude of his,” Tenma complained but Igawa could hear the tint of fondness that hid in his tone behind his initial annoyance.</em>
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  <p>next to it, there was a pink crown with white and gold accents;</p>
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    <em>“Is that a new script?” Igawa asked when he saw the manilla envelope resting on Tenma’s lap once he entered the car. He knew Tenma wasn’t scheduled to shoot anything soon but it wouldn’t be long until the Summer Troupe started their rehearsals for their new play. “No, this is one of dad’s old scripts.” Seeing the surprise on his face, Tenma added: “I asked him if I could lend it to one of my troupe mates and he agreed.” “Oh?” “Yeah, remember when dad had to play that prince character in a drama?” He did remember; that performance had earned Mr Sumeragi a couple of awards when he was just starting his career. At Igawa’s hum of affirmation, Tenma continued: “Well, one of my troupe members wants to act in a similar role in the future, so I thought giving this a look would help him have a more concrete idea of what it’s like.” Igawa nodded with a smile. “His acting and his presence on stage still need some work, but I think reading this can not only motivate him but also give him some inspiration since it has all the annotations dad made on it when he used it.” Tenma was using that determined and straightforward tone that often laced his voice whenever he spoke about anything related to acting; it reminded him that despite his young age, he was a professional through and through. One thing that had always been true about Tenma was that he was a perfectionist and someone incredibly proud of his work; because of that, he expected that everyone met the same standards he had for himself. That hadn’t changed after he started performing with Mankai, but the way he went about it when talking to his colleagues was definitely different and he was now seeing exactly where it rooted from.</em>
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  <p>next to that one, there was probably the most unique keychain of the bunch: a small almost translucent triangle protractor,</p>
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    <em>“Is that homework?” Igawa asked as he closed the door of the trailer. Tenma paused his furious scribbling when he heard his manager’s question and the guilty darting of his eyes told the answer before he even opened his mouth. “......no…...I’ll do it after I finish this!” he scrambled to answer. Igawa sighed a bit in response; Tenma hated doing his school work and usually he would push him to work on it but since he knew that there was a professional tutor in the dorms that could help him, he decided to let him off the hook this time.</em>
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    <em>“So, what were you writing then?”</em>
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    <em>“Oh!” Tenma’s eyes lit up at the question. “I just thought up a few ideas I want to try out the next time we have to do street acts. Some of them are a bit advanced but I think Misumi and I could pull them off.” “Really?” he inquired, sitting across from the boy and taking a sip from his coffee. “Yeah.” he shook his head as he closed the notebook. “Misumi’s talent is kinda terrifying; if we could do something to help him focus more, he could probably be as good as me.” Igawa’s eyebrows shot up at that since Tenma was not one to give out praise freely to anyone. If he recalled correctly, Ikuraga’s performance had probably been the second best on their show next to Tenma’s, so while he was shocked by the admission, he could definitely see where the actor was coming from. “I didn’t know you started putting stickers on your things.” Igawa pointed out when his gaze fell on the notebook. “What? No, I don’t-” Tenma exclaimed but stopped himself when his eyes landed on the stickers that adorned the back of his notebook. An ice-cream cone, a slice of watermelon and onigiri surrounded a bigger yellow triangle that had a few words scribbled on with a marker. Twisting his neck, he was able to make out the words: “Good luck, Tenma~~!! (*^▽^*)”</em>
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  <p>and, finally, there was a paint pallet with a small brush dipped in green paint.</p>
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    <em>“Yes, yes, I’ll ask him about it. Yes, mom, I won’t forget. Okay, bye.”</em>
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    <em>“Everything okay?” Igawa asked once Tenma hung up, his eyes focused on the road. “Huh?” the boy asked absentmindedly as he opened another app on his phone. “Yeah, it’s nothing serious. She told me she wants a copy of the poster of Water Me! since it was our first performance. I told her that they already had the flyer with the picture but she says it’s too small, so I told her that I could probably ask Kazunari to make another copy since he’s the one that designed the final version.” He was trying to act nonchalant about it, but Igawa could hear the pride in his voice, happy that his parents were openly acknowledging and accepting his theatre career.</em>
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    <em>“It is an important milestone,” the manager nodded and then added. ”And it was a beautiful poster.” Tenma hummed in agreement. “Yeah, Kazunari can be obnoxious as hell but he’s got a real eye for design. All of the company’s posters and our website are a testament to that,” he admitted as he scrolled on his phone. “He’s probably gonna be over the moon once I ask him for a copy.” They had arrived at the dorms so Igawa could see Tenma rolling his eyes in what could be mistaken for exasperation were it not for the slight smile on his face. He had seen Kazunari Miyoshi once after their first (eventful) meeting and in that occasion the older boy had Tenma in a side hug while they took a selfie together and what had caught Igawa’s attention was that despite the fact that Tenma didn’t really like taking selfies with people (besides the occasional fan), the protests that came from his mouth were half-hearted at best and it didn’t take long for him to settle and smile for the picture. After it was taken, he could hear Miyoshi saying he would caption it with “Nothing better than some Ice-cream after rehearsals with TenTen!!”</em>
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  <p>Each of the keychains had gold chains and gold borders and detailing, making it obvious that they were part of the same set despite the wide variety of designs.</p>
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  <p>As the employee put them all in separate bags after Tenma told her they were gifts, Igawa couldn’t stop the smile that tugged at the corners of his mouth nor the fondness that seeped through his voice when he said: “I’m sure they’ll love them.”</p>
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  <p>The actor just shrugged in response. “Of course they will,” he replied with confidence but his manager could see the redness in the tips of his ears.</p>
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  <p>Tenma had always been a good kid. Arrogant and too blunt at times, yes, but never with the intention of hurting others. However, being in the spotlight from such a young age had isolated him from his peers and his parents' constant travelling only served to make him build even more walls around himself; be confident and keep your head up, your work is what matters, that was the motto by which Tenma lived his life and that was a big detriment in any interpersonal relationships he could have formed. But now, seeing him fuss over which souvenirs to bring to his friends, the deep mark the Mankai Company left on him was glaringly obvious. </p>
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  <p>He remembered the genuine concern he showed when his parents wanted him to quit. It was one of the few times he saw Tenma’s eyes tainted with fear; and at first, Igawa had thought he had been afraid of the possibility that this project he had worked so hard towards would be crushed, but later on he learned that it was more than that, it was the fear of having to let go of the people who had managed to bring down his walls and had put their all in supporting him so he could turn his past regrets into victories.</p>
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  <p>Tenma had never looked happier than he did now and that translated to his acting as well; he still carried himself with confidence but now there was also a lightness to his steps that wasn’t there before. Igawa knew that Mankai and the Summer Troupe probably didn’t really understand how much they had truly helped Tenma become a better version of himself in every sense but he would forever be thankful for it.</p>
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